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Topic : 01/03 Shocking Trends of the New Year

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Created on : Monday, December 17, 2007, 10:08:40 am

Author : DrPhilBoard1

Parents, listen up! It’s a new year, and the risky behavior of teens is ever-evolving into dangerous new trends propagated on the Internet. Is your teen involved in an activity that would shock you? First, Cody, Connor, Grayson and Garrett are teenage friends who film themselves doing daredevil stunts and then post them online for the public to view. The latest trend is called mattress surfing, where kids ride on top of a mattress being dragged behind a truck at top speed. The boys say they do it safely, but what do their parents think? The answer may shock you. When a family shares their tragic true story, will the boys see that mattress surfing isn’t just fun and games? Next, many people feel this practice is inhumane when it’s done to animals –- but now some teens are putting their health at risk to do it to each other. Then, Kaytee is a 15-year-old diabetic who says she’d rather risk dying than be fat. She engages in diabulimia, a deadly new practice of skipping insulin doses to lose weight. Wanda has been a diabulimic for 15 years and is lucky to be alive. Will these women stop their slow suicide? Join the discussion.

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Mattress surfing

Like some others, I had never heard of this either...so, I did a little research on the internet. I found out that in the movie "The Princess Diaries 2", that there is a "mattress surfing" scene. Kids see this stuff on TV and think it's ok to do. I wonder, do the parents think it's ok, too?....or that it's ok until someone gets hurt?

They were not being pulled by cars, it was down a stair case which was being done when I was a kid, kids just want to be stupid it and put a car in the mix.

Mattress Surfing vs Water Skiing???

Can someone please tell me how mattress surfing is ANY more dangerous than water skiing (or snow skiing for that matter)? Granted, these are kids without adult supervision, but how is hanging onto a rope behind a trunk on open land any different from holding onto a rope on water with 15 boats on a lake? Why was this never mentioned on the show? And why did Dr. Stork (aka: "The Bachelor" - love how that was left out now that Dr. Phil's son is in with his show) never mention this? Should we have all of our kids become overweight slobs playing video games in our homes in order to keep them away from 'danger'? It's pretty sad that this generation will never have the 'made up' childhood games that we had because of fear. If you are scared of your child mattress surfing, than don't let them water, nor snow, ski. The WII is now available at Target.

Concerned diabetic....

I read the synopsis about today's show, and red flags went up when I read about Kaytee (the 16-year old diabetic) NOT taking her insulin in order to lose weight. When I was younger (about 13 years old) I also rebelled and quit taking my insulin...not to lose weight or anything...but I did! I look at pictures now, and see how awful I looked. My parents said that in one year they took me to the hospital 13 times!

I'm 28 now, and am having eye trouble...probably due to my "rebellious stage". I can't undo what I did when I was younger, and regret it now. I hope Kaytee is able to figure out that not taking her insulin will have long term effects that she might not think about right now. I hope that she gets the help and makes the decision for herself to start taking better care of herself. I'm just speaking from experience, and wish that I could help her understand the impacts of what she is doing to herself.

Treatment of Diabulemia

It is interesting how doctors and others claim to be "very concerned" about the victims/patients in cases such at those on your show today, but still are able to sit still and listen to a family say that because those "wonderful treatment programs" will allow people to die because they lack the wealth to transfer in order to obtain treatment. I find the entire set of medical ethics suspect. There are sins of omission as well as commission. When doctors refuse to treat because the patient cannot pay, they are doing as much, or more harm than when they provide the wrong medicines or harmful treatment. Does this create an ethical conundrum, you betcha! However, there is something fundamentally wrong with a society that allows people to die for lack of funds, or one that deceives people into thinking that they can obtain help by contacting facilities that gain publicity by giving services to a select few who are willing or able to display their addictions or disabilities on nationwide television programs, thereby enabling the hosts to earn more per episode than the awarded treatment would cost. The overwhelming majority of people who suffer from the problems presented on your program are literally out in the cold with no resources. The medical profession has become a moral outrage, and programs that purport to make a difference should stick to household hints or pop psychology rather than putting a false face upon supposed providers of health services.

01/03 Shocking Trends of the New Year

I was very touched by the 15 year old diabetic that was on the show today. I am a 25 year old diabetic and I was diagnosed when I was 9. I have done the same things that she is doing to herself. I have had about 7 laser and eye surgeries and some kidney problems. I thought that I would never be able to have children. I had 3 miscarragas, and then last year God blesses my husband and I with a healthy baby boy. It was not an easy road. The Dr.s decided that they did not think that my body could handle another pregnancy so I had my tubes tied at age 24. It breaks my heart everyday to know that I can not have another child. I wish that I could go back and change things but I can't. I want to help prevent people from making the same mistakes I made. BEING SKINNY IS NOT WORTH YOUR LIFE. It's awful living everyday worrying what is going to happen next.

01/03 Shocking Trends of the New Year

Well, you know I have a 51 year old brother-in-law who has been having seizures for about 10 years. He is not supposed to drink alchohol. But he does and has been the whole time. He has had one set of doctors to drop him. I don't know how he is fooling the ones he goes to now. He lies and tells them he doesn't drink. He has had many tests done over the years and they have never found anything physiological(right word?) He has never stopped drinking long enough to see if that would make a difference. He takes medication for the seizures. He has had shoulder surgeries because he fell and hurt his shoulder during a seizure. You should see how bad he looks after a seizure-his face all bruised and battered. When I think about it, it seems crazy to me. I have asked my husband if he thought it would help if the other 4 tried to talk to his brother. He says he thinks it would make his brother so mad, it would probably come to blows. (He does have a terrible temper)

I was watching the show and thinking how sad and awful it is about the insulin then my brother-in-law came to mind . I thought, Jeez, he's in the same boat as they are. Human beings are crazy animals sometimes.

Matress Surfing Vs. Drinking and driving

Isnt drinking and driving more risky than riding on a mattress attached to the back of a truck? Drinking and driving cannot only kill the person driving, but other innoncent by standers. To me, drinking and driving is a bigger problem than mattress surfing. How many stories do you hear of people dying from mattress surfing? And how many stories do you hear about people dying from drinking and driving?